Another Sidwell college counselor head quits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CCO could definitely do more to give the impression that they actually care about the student. There was no sense of "I think this school would be good for you" or "have you thought about xyz?" It is a very transactional relationship which leaves something to be desired in a process whose success depends on the whole child landing somewhere that is the right fit.

How many students do they have? Curious if it is a workload issue or if a low # and they should be able to handle but don’t want to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CCO could definitely do more to give the impression that they actually care about the student. There was no sense of "I think this school would be good for you" or "have you thought about xyz?" It is a very transactional relationship which leaves something to be desired in a process whose success depends on the whole child landing somewhere that is the right fit.

The whole child landing somewhere that is the right fit? What does that even mean? Are you saying that part of the child could land somewhere that is a "wrong fit?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you get past the high donor alumni, the athletic recruits, and the high-achieving URMs, there are only so many measly spots available for T20 schools. Don't blame the CCOs. If you are not in any of the above three categories, know what you are paying for. It is not college placement. It is for a bespoke educational experience for a very privileged/fortunate few. Your children have had x number of years of getting the best attention to all their educational and formative needs to be high-achieving young adults--no matter where they go to college. I feel sorry for the CCOs and the school admins in general. It has become a business, available to the highest bidder. No institutional respect whatsoever from the parents. When I went to boarding school, even the wealthiest parents (old money) had the good sense to let the admin handle things. No one trusts anybody anymore.

When you went to boarding school, the admins were capable of handling things. No one wants to tell a parent who has spent 750k+ over 14 years that the amazing education doesn't mean that their kid can do better than Dickenson

PP here. These types of college placement results most definitely happened to lifer kids (25 years ago), but I think they were more carefully managed by admins. and accepted by parents. Back then, economic anxiety among the wealthy was not as attenuated as it is today. Back then, hardworking Little Jimmy could always buckle down in a low- or mid-tier college with tutors and still get into a decent law school, med school, MBA, etc., and have a good life with family wealth to fill in the gaps. Nowadays, that is not enough apparently. Sorry, rant over.

On the one hand 25 years ago they could go to Bucknell or Colgate or Tulane. Now they are being told they need to drop down to the Elon level (even that if becoming a harder admit). On the other hand, educational inflation has hit independent schools too so the amount of money spent to send a kid to a top school for 14 years wasn't nearly as jaw dropping.

I know quite a few A and B (with a C here or there) Big3 kids who got into Tulane, Bucknell and Colgate this year. However, they all got in ED, The kids getting burnt were those who aimed higher. Really, the Big3 applicants need to know that Ivy or top 20 schools ARE.NOT-HAPPENING in 2023 unless the kid is top 10 with most rigorous courses (post calc, physics C) and even then overwhelmingly not. traditionally all sorts of Big3 outside of the top 10 in the class applied to Ivies and other top 20 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you get past the high donor alumni, the athletic recruits, and the high-achieving URMs, there are only so many measly spots available for T20 schools. Don't blame the CCOs. If you are not in any of the above three categories, know what you are paying for. It is not college placement. It is for a bespoke educational experience for a very privileged/fortunate few. Your children have had x number of years of getting the best attention to all their educational and formative needs to be high-achieving young adults--no matter where they go to college. I feel sorry for the CCOs and the school admins in general. It has become a business, available to the highest bidder. No institutional respect whatsoever from the parents. When I went to boarding school, even the wealthiest parents (old money) had the good sense to let the admin handle things. No one trusts anybody anymore.

Not blaming CCOs for outcome or landscape - but SFS can do far more to build relationships with kids and be there as support. At a bare minimum - how hard is it to know when your students' decisions days are and to reach out afterwards (doesn't need to be immediate) to see how it went and cheer them on?

I think that's asking a lot. How many students do they have and multiply that by what, 10?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never liked her anyway

This quote sums up self-proclaimed "Big Three" parents who post on here. Can you imagine how much of a queen B this poster is in real life? The funny thing is, most of the Sidwell parents I know are not like this poster at all - and I can guarandamntee they are exponentially more successful that this mother is. I'd love to know what the college counseling office folks think about this poster and her progeny. It's a good thing they have more tact than she does.

Also, do Sidwell parents really call the college counseling office to levy anonymous charges against little Johnny's classmates? If true, that has to be the most toxic high school environment I've ever heard about.

I guess you don’t know a lot of us Sidwell parents if you think I’m the exception. I just didn’t like her patronizing style. Not queen bee at all. In fact, you probably never even noticed me nor my DC while there. But, I feel you’re not a Sidwell parent if you don’t know the answer to your question about the anonymous charges. Otherwise you would at least know the class year.

[Anonymous]

Where is this person going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never liked her anyway

This quote sums up self-proclaimed "Big Three" parents who post on here. Can you imagine how much of a queen B this poster is in real life? The funny thing is, most of the Sidwell parents I know are not like this poster at all - and I can guarandamntee they are exponentially more successful that this mother is. I'd love to know what the college counseling office folks think about this poster and her progeny. It's a good thing they have more tact than she does.

Also, do Sidwell parents really call the college counseling office to levy anonymous charges against little Johnny's classmates? If true, that has to be the most toxic high school environment I've ever heard about.

I guess you don’t know a lot of us Sidwell parents if you think I’m the exception. I just didn’t like her patronizing style. Not queen bee at all. In fact, you probably never even noticed me nor my DC while there. But, I feel you’re not a Sidwell parent if you don’t know the answer to your question about the anonymous charges. Otherwise you would at least know the class year.

The 2018-2019 school year. Class of 2019.

And no, you don’t seem like the exception to the Sidwell parent, but rather just like most of them. Unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

It’s always the social outliers fighting. Just chill

[Anonymous]

Pursuit of happiness. In the constitution. There you have it. Sidwell looks great on the resume. I hope she goes private so I can hire her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I know quite a few A and B (with a C here or there) Big3 kids who got into Tulane, Bucknell and Colgate this year. However, they all got in ED, The kids getting burnt were those who aimed higher. Really, the Big3 applicants need to know that Ivy or top 20 schools ARE.NOT-HAPPENING in 2023 unless the kid is top 10 with most rigorous courses (post calc, physics C) and even then overwhelmingly not. traditionally all sorts of Big3 outside of the top 10 in the class applied to Ivies and other top 20 schools.

You know Ivy Day 2023 hasn't happened, yet, right?

[Anonymous]

Isn't Sidwell where parents were tattling anonymously about other kids to the college admissions offices vying for the best hook ups to the best colleges and cutting other kids down? That was a year or so ago? And now Sidwell bans any anonymous letters. I am sure that savvy mums and dads work their way around this. Did you see x vaping near CVS? Did you know when you grade y's papers your actually grading the tutor's work? What a toxic place. Sidwell makes progressives look bad.

[Anonymous]

NP. I think the CCO Head did a terrific job. I really like her. She did an outstanding job in an extremely challenging environment. I am sorry to see her go. I think Sidwell parents as a group often do not see their kids accurately and more importantly in context of an increasingly competitive world. Sidwell Class of 2022 Parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't Sidwell where parents were tattling anonymously about other kids to the college admissions offices vying for the best hook ups to the best colleges and cutting other kids down? That was a year or so ago? And now Sidwell bans any anonymous letters. I am sure that savvy mums and dads work their way around this. Did you see x vaping near CVS? Did you know when you grade y's papers your actually grading the tutor's work? What a toxic place. Sidwell makes progressives look bad.

+100 what a toxic toxic place -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think the CCO Head did a terrific job. I really like her. She did an outstanding job in an extremely challenging environment. I am sorry to see her go. I think Sidwell parents as a group often do not see their kids accurately and more importantly in context of an increasingly competitive world. Sidwell Class of 2022 Parent.



Agreed! She met with my DD weekly all summer and was available over Thanksgiving and winter break. Class of 2023 parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't Sidwell where parents were tattling anonymously about other kids to the college admissions offices vying for the best hook ups to the best colleges and cutting other kids down? That was a year or so ago? And now Sidwell bans any anonymous letters. I am sure that savvy mums and dads work their way around this. Did you see x vaping near CVS? Did you know when you grade y's papers your actually grading the tutor's work? What a toxic place. Sidwell makes progressives look bad.

+100 what a toxic toxic place -

Yeah, you tell yourself that